Freight train derails in Kaunas district, disrupting passenger routes

A locomotive and four freight wagons derailed overnight in Lithuania’s Kaunas district, blocking a key rail line and forcing passenger trains to reroute, state broadcaster LRT reported early Friday.

The derailed wagons, part of a train traveling from Duisburg, included cargo carrying methanol, though authorities confirmed there was no hazard. The adjacent wider-gauge track was also rendered impassable, halting traffic toward Kybartai and Marijampolė.

Rail operator Lietuvos Geležinkeliai warned that 22 passenger services—including routes between Kaunas–Kybartai, Kaunas–Marijampolė, and Vilnius–Mockava—would be affected. Passengers will be transferred to buses for part of their journey, while two international transit trains face temporary suspension.

The incident follows a separate derailment early Thursday near Gudžiūnai station in Kėdainiai district, where three wagons carrying scrap metal left the tracks. No injuries were reported in either case, and investigations into both accidents are ongoing.